Disclaimer: Um, I just don't own Beyblade or its characters. Ooooooh, SHOCKER!

Author's Note: Hello! This is it! This is the next installment! I don't have a ton of time to say much to you, so this author's not is pretty much short and sweet (lucky you guys!). Anyway, enjoy! Happy Readings!

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I was tired. It was late. I got the keys from Sam and promptly dressed for bed. Obviously, step number two was to get IN bed, and step number three was to sleep.

I am proud to report that I completed all three steps with efficiency.

In my dreams, I saw Kai, which wasn't horribly unusual after just spending so much . . . quality time with him. It wasn't a lustful, hot dream, so everyone can just roll your tongues back into your mouths and stop drooling. I believe the dream also consisted of a talking turtle and jar of strawberry jam, and if you make something sexy out of a jar of strawberry jam and a turtle . . . well, I know the name of a VERY good psychological clinic.

Anyway, I woke up earlier than usual the next morning. It must have been around four thirty, and that didn't please nor upset me. I didn't have any super good feelings or any super bad ones.

Upon listening to the weather forecast over coffee, it appeared that the day promised to be just as indecisive as my mood. It wouldn't be sunny and warm, but neither would it be gray and cool. It would simply be BLAH . . . which was okay.

I showered and conjured up enough energy to battle my hair. I was able to bind it in its usual white prison and slipped on some traditional clothing from my home: wide navy blue pants, a white, long sleeved tunic with a golden dragon swirling intricately on the back, and a red sash around my waist. It felt good to wear the traditional apparel of my home on the often occasion.

By the time I had finished all of my daily routines it was around nine o' clock, so I decided that maybe I should head for the university. The conclusion led me to slinging my black backpack over my shoulder and exiting the apartment. The door, I had made sure was locked, which reminded me that I had to go get my keys some time that day, which caused me to remember that my car was with my keys . . . at Tyson's, where it did me a whole hell of a lot of good.

I grumbled about the entire situation. I didn't know why logical thinking had evaded me the previous day. Kai and I BOTH should have taken our cars to lunch. Honestly!

Oh well, it seemed I would have to walk to the university. It wasn't terribly far away, and I could get there on time if I hurried, for class started at ten. The one up side to the situation was that walking allowed me more time to think of a reasonable excuse of why my history paper remained incomplete.

So, I walked. There was nothing too special about the little journey. I saw a cat and thought it was just too cute. I put it on my list of the top ten cutest things I'd ever seen, but in order to do so I had to take off the little country time looking Santa Claus decoration I'd seen the previous Christmas, other wise the cat would've made eleven, and I couldn't have a list of the top eleven cutest things I'd ever seen. It simply didn't have the same ring. Anyway, it was either the Santa or the adorable little girl in the frilly pink dress I had seen in the park one day. I couldn't bring myself to delete the cute little girl. So the cat bumped the Santa Claus, and I had no regrets.

Arriving at the university, I had less than five minutes to get to class, which was straight away from the entrance, so I made it with no altercations.

I think I need a cookie for that.

Anyway, I grabbed an empty seat near the back of the room, ignoring the eyes that fell on me as I entered. It was then that I took the time to socialize with the people around me. I knew and was on a friendly basis with the majority of my class, so I spoke with a lot of people.

Soon, however, the class quieted down, and the professor appeared in the front of the room. He was an older man, maybe a little over sixty, with somewhat of a large gullet and skinny legs. His hair was brown and becoming speckled with gray. His mustache was longer and oddly pointy at both ends, while his beard seemed glued closely to his face. Brown eyes were nearly masked by sagging eyelids, which appeared to be weighted down by bushy brown eyebrows. He wore brown pants and a white collared shirt under a brown suit jacket and red tie. The ensemble simply didn't do it for me, but hey, who was I to criticize? I mean I hadn't bothered to do his assignment, so why would he bother to change his wardrobe for me?

"Good morning class," he greeted.

There were a few "hey" 's and some mumblings that couldn't be understood, and then there were those cheery morning people who greeted with, "Good morning Mr. Koju."

I didn't like those people. People who were too cheery in the morning bothered me. Not even Max or Tyson was THAT cheery in the morning.

"First, let's have your reports, so if you'll just hand those to the front in an orderly fashion, please." He said.

I watched idly as people pulled out their neatly arranged papers and passed them forward. One of my friends, Jake, nudged me with his elbow, his eyes questioning. I simply shook my head to answer his unspoken question, and he rolled his eyes.

Once the papers had arrived at the front of the room, Professor Koju collected them into his short, skinny arms and lugged them to his desk. After that, he began his lecture, so we all grabbed our notebooks and began scribbling down notes about long passed events and the dead people they involved. Despite the description, I found it all very fascinating, and my attention was consummately his.

Somewhere between 1504 and 1610, he stopped talking and told us that we could go . . . ya know, every one but me.

"Mr. Kon," Koju said, beckoning to me.

"Yes, sir?" I asked rather casually.

"I didn't see you hand in your paper," he stated simply.

His brown eyes regarded me blankly.

"Um," I said as I shifted my bag a little. "No, you didn't."

"You're a very good student. You've quite knack for the subject. It's a bit out of character for you to have disregarded such an important part of your grade."

I sighed. God, now he was giving me a guilt trip. I had to think of something. So . . .

"I know. Lately I've had a lot on my mind." I said, my eyes catching the sudden twinkle of interest in his eyes.

My face took on a distressed, tired expression. "I mean, what with the investigation and the detectives, and my acquaintance being so brutally murdered. I'm afraid I just haven't been myself lately."

Professor Koju's eyes went wide. "Good Lord! YOU'RE involved in that awful thing?" He exclaimed.

I nodded slowly. "Yes, sir. I knew that girl who died." With those words, I made certain that my face grew solemn and my eyes sad and watery, as though I were fighting off tears.

For my efforts, Koju's face softened considerably. "You know, my daughter once had a friend who was murdered. It was devastating for her, so seeing as how you have a valid reason, I'm willing to grant you some leniency and extend the due date for you. You have two additional weeks."

I bowed slightly. "Thank you," I replied softly.

With that, I exited the room. The moment I got beyond the doorway and his view, a large grin spread onto my face. Okay so yes, I felt bad about playing him that way, but damn, I had been GOOD.

"You are such a loser, Rei," said a voice to my side.

I looked over to find a grinning Jake.

"Ya think so?" I asked.

"I heard EVERYTHING you sly bastard."

I just grinned at him. "Yeah, well, I couldn't let my grade slip."

He rolled his eyes for the second time that day. "Whatever. I've gotta get to my lit. class, so I'll see ya around, but Maki told me to tell you to meet her when you're done with your musical composition class. Later!" He winked at me as he trotted off.

I smiled after him. He was a fairly cheerful guy. He had a tendency to be somewhat egotistic, and he was a big talker, but that didn't make him bad to talk to or hang out with every now and then.

As for Maki, she was a class friend who I'd dated for a while, but she fell in the category of those short relationships that didn't mean much to me. We broke up but still hung out as friends sometimes. I wondered what she wanted to see me about. However, I decided to think about it later, for if it occupied my mind too much longer, I'd be late for class.

Happily, I trotted away to my class so as to become an erudite scholar so that I would some day be able to contribute substantially to the world and its inhabitants!

Yes, could I get my badge now?

Class started, and class ended. I left with no foreboding homework, which pleased me. My first thoughts were to get to Tyson's, but I then remembered what Jake had told me. I also remembered what he had failed to tell me . . . WHERE exactly I was supposed to meet Maki.

I made some deductions and decided to check the courtyard. We'd met there back when we were together, so I figured it would be the most obvious place. I was correct, for upon further investigation I located her leaning against the side of the brick building that was the university.

Maki was an attractive young woman. She was kind of short, yet very smooth and slender. Her skin was a soft caramel brown, and her hair was jet black, not unlike mine, and cut short. Often times she had it spiking out in all different directions, a crimson red dye usually acted as an eerie undertone to the dark follicles.

Her lips were full and painted red, her cheekbones always defined by rouge, and the periphery of her deep brown eyes constantly wore dark eyeliner. Her perfectly separated eyelashes were long and slightly curled upward, a result, no doubt, of the magic of mascara. Commonly, she was easy going and fun to talk to. She was inventive, and aloof in her mannerisms as well as her wardrobe.

I smiled. "Hey, Maki," I called.

She tilted her head upwards, squinting slightly against the dim sunlight. When recognition hit her, those full lips parted and turned upwards in a smile, revealing two rows of slick, white teeth. She waved nonchalantly at me. "Hi, Rei," she said.

Soon, I joined her in the courtyard. "So," I started. "Jake told me you wanted to see me."

She nodded a little. "Yeah I . . ." She trailed off and cast her eyes downward. She seemed to be thinking, struggling with something.

I cocked my head to the side in feline curiosity. "What's wrong?" I asked.

She hesitated before looking back at me. "I'm not going to do this whole drama thing, Rei. I wanted to talk to you because I've been thinking a lot lately about . . . well everything, and I guess I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to try and get back together?"

I stared at her, surprised. She stared back at me a little shyly but confidently. My eyes scanned over her petite frame, and my mind recalled the period when we had been together. I moved forward a little and slid a hand under her chin, which I proceeded to lift slightly. She closed her eyes as I let my lips connect with hers.

I was ready to say that we could. I knew that it wouldn't last, but if it made her happy, what was the harm? In a way, it would simply be me doing a favor for a friend.

We broke for air, and she opened her eyes. They were full of confusion. I would remedy that with one simple word, so I opened my mouth to give her the answer I knew she wanted.

"No," I said, and then I immediately clamped my jaw shut.

I hadn't meant to say 'no' . . . it just sort of . . . came out, and I couldn't bring myself to correct it. Something . . . something was stopping me.

She furrowed her brow and then nodded slowly. A smile, softer and maybe a little forlorn, spread across her red lips. "I see," She said quietly. "Someone else."

All I could manage to utter were a few unintelligible sputters that couldn't pass for words whether I meant them to or not. What did she mean? What was WRONG with me?

"Okay, well, I guess that answers my question. It prolly wouldn't have worked out anyway. You were right to decline," she said, her voice once again expressive. She winked at me. "See? That's what I get for thinking." Playfully, she knocked herself lightly against the head before pushing off of the wall, turning, and walking away. She left me with but a wave over her shoulder. I merely stared after her, and suddenly an image of garnet eyes and that familiar, pale flesh of a handsome, stern face flashed in my head.

I couldn't help but gasp slightly. Was he . . . the reason? Was Kai the reason I'd said no? It was a thought that greatly disturbed me. He should not have been occupying my thoughts. He shouldn't have been a factor. Kai was just . . . he was just for fun.

I gently shook my head. It was nonsense. What I'd said to Maki was a simple impulse, maybe even an instinct. Kai had nothing to do with it. Of that I was relatively sure . . . at least, I wanted to be.

I decided to purge my thoughts of the little incident and concentrate solely on getting my car and my keys back. They were somewhat of priority. I made my way to Tyson's house, evading musing about my encounter and that one guy who I wasn't going to think about.

Ha! Didn't even say his name. Um . . . yeah. Me, retard Rei, who you?

Anyway, Tyson's house was a bit of a hike, but I didn't mind too much. As said before, the day wasn't great but it wasn't terrible. I categorized it in pleasantly blah.

I arrived a little passed noon and experienced a wave of relief at seeing my car gleaming so beautifully in the partial sunlight. I was ready to hop in it and drive away, but it would be difficult without my keys. This in mind, I headed toward the house.

It was quiet as it had been the previous day. At first I thought that maybe no one was about; however, I was proved incorrect when I saw a mop of brown hair peek out from the open doorway. The brunette mop lifted slightly and revealed the eyeless face of Kenny. He smiled at me.

"Good afternoon, Rei," he said.

I smiled in return. "Hey Kenny. What are you doing out here? Isn't Ty home?"

Kenny stepped from behind his mighty protector, otherwise known as the doorway. He shook his head. "No, he called me this morning because he crashed his computer last night, and apparently he has something due in one of his classes. I'm just here for maintenance," Kenny concluded with a grin.

I chuckled. "Yeah, aren't we all?"

He motioned for me to come inside, which I did. I followed him to the kitchen and grabbed a seat at the table. Evidently, I'd interrupted my younger friend's lunch of chips, dip, and a soda. Naughty, naughty me!

"So what brings you here, Rei?" He asked.

I sighed. "Actually, I was here yesterday along with . . . uh, my car," I said, carefully avoiding the forbidden name, and oh so tactfully substituting it with a vehicle.

Kenny raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. I continued. "I left my keys and jacket here, and I was hoping Tyson had stumbled upon them yesterday or something."

"I dunno, maybe he did, but I haven't seen them around, not that I've been looking or anything. Oh, hey Rei?"

"Yeah?"

"How'd you manage to forget your keys? Don't you need those to run your car?" Kenny questioned.

I fidgeted. "Yes, I do, but I . . . didn't take my car home . . . last night," I said somewhat lamely.

"Why?"

"Because . . . I took a bus."

He stared at me for a moment before reiterating simply, "Why?"

"Because . . . my car is . . . out of . . . gas." A light of hope flickered inside of me. "Yeah, my car was out of gas, so I had to take a bus, and I accidentally left my stuff here!" I exclaimed quickly.

Kenny scooted back in his chair. "Okay," he said hesitantly.

I couldn't blame him. That had been an odd little episode.

"Hm, well anyway, I'm just going to look around here a little and see if I can't find my things," I said after a slight pause.

I stood up. Kenny watched me from his chair and nodded as I turned to leave.

Recollecting that I had taken off my jacket in the garden, I made it the first place on my list to check. When I went out side, I was rather miffed to find that it wasn't where I had left it, so I began to search all around the yard, the pathway leading to the shrine, and the bushes that . . . well, the bushes. I found nothing, and my search shifted toward the house. I looked around the outside and the little pond and poked around inside too. I found nothing. Suddenly, I became very nervous. If my jacket was gone, so were my keys and my wallet and everything INSIDE my wallet.

I cursed to myself. I'd have to cancel all my credit cards, get a new license, and all that other fun stuff. What really became a cause for concern was the fact that my keys were missing. It meant that I couldn't unlock my car, let alone START it. Nor could I get into my apartment . . . though, whoever HAD them could. I groaned as panic began to pull at me. How irresponsible of me! How could I lose things like that at such a crucial and possibly dangerous time in my life?

"Kenny!" I called.

I began racing madly around the house, seeking out my younger friend.

"Kenny! Kenny!" I yelled.

Finally, he poked his head around the doorframe to the living room. "What is it, Rei?" He asked, somewhat alarmed.

"Can you give me a lift back to my place?" I asked frantically.

He stared at me, saying nothing.

I was practically bouncing up and down, and I'm sure it was an awkward sight. At the time, however, I wasn't thinking about how interesting I might look when bouncing.

"Kenny!" I pleaded, my voice nearing a childish pout.

"Uh, yeah, okay," he said. "Let's go."

I sighed in relief, but could not keep the nervousness away. What if someone was in my apartment? What if someone was using my credit cards? What if? What if? What if? It was all I could think about.

I beat Kenny to his car and attempted to get in, but the doors were locked so I had to wait. When he unlocked it, I got in instantly, fidgeting while he climbed into the driver's side. It seemed an eternity for him to stick the key in the ignition and for the vehicle to start.

Kenny drove me quickly to my building, and when I got out of the car, so did he. My nervousness began to grow even more fervent when, much to my chagrin, I found that Sam wasn't on duty. It was that other guy . . . the NEW guy . . . the young and probably INEXPEREINCED guy.

I gulped as I passed him by. I had a really bad feeling as Kenny accompanied me into the elevator and we ascended. A few times, he tried to say something, but he wasn't certain what to ask or how to go about it. Kenny was always sensible and knew well enough when the time to ask questions was.

My palms were sweating as the elevator halted, and the door slid open, revealing to me a familiar hallway. My apartment was at the end of it, and I was tempted to stay in the elevator and hit the down button. Maybe I didn't WANT to see if everything was okay. However, Kenny stepped out before I could make any irrational decisions. I followed him out and then took the lead again.

We walked at a less rapid pace down the hall. When we came to my door . . . it was . . . closed. I sighed in relief, yet something still didn't feel quite right. It was like a nagging sensation pulling at my mind, disrupting thoughts of alleviation. My fingers seemed to twitch with an urge. Slowly, I reached a hand up to the doorknob and paused before I wrapped my fingers around it. Holding my breath, I turned it, half expecting the door to fly open as I did so, but that was not the case. Instead, I turned ever so slightly only to have jolt, refusing to move any further. A smile began to spread onto my lips as I gave it a shake and few more turns in both directions. My apartment was still locked! Granted, I couldn't get in, but . . . yay! It was locked!

I turned to Kenny with a need to express my happiness. "It's LOCKED!" I exclaimed.

Kenny sighed. "That's great, Rei," he said.

"No one broke in!" I said.

"Super," he started.

I nodded. "I know!"

"But that doesn't mean someone WON'T," he finished.

It felt like someone had just poured cold water over my head. His logic really put a damper on my glee. I frowned at him. "Yeah . . ." I admitted.

"Your wallet was with your missing jacket, right?" Kenny asked.

I nodded solemnly.

"You'd better get into your apartment and start canceling things, and then maybe you should report it or something. Maybe you should call Detective Mou," he offered.

I raised an eyebrow. "How do you know about her?"

I hadn't remembered telling Mou about Kenny.

He shrugged. "Max and Tyson both decided to call me after THEIR visits with her. I can only assume she spoke with you too."

I rolled my eyes. Ah yes, of course, Tyson and Max. I sighed. Max. He was another subject that I needed to address. I gently shook my head.

"Are you okay?"

I nodded and smiled tiredly at Kenny who smiled slightly in return.

"Thanks for driving me here, Kenny. I appreciate it, and I promise I'll make it up to you. We'll do lunch or something," I said.

"There's no need for thanks; however, lunch sounds good," he said.

"One of these days." I nodded.

"Good-bye and good luck," Kenny said as he started to walk away.

I watched him until he was swallowed up by the elevator and then leaned heavily against my door. What a day. Oh well, I guess it had its high points. I mean, I got an extension on my history report, and my door was locked!

The next few minutes weren't entirely crucial. I used the spare keys that I had gotten from Sam to get into my apartment and spent the rest of the afternoon canceling my credit cards, deciding whether or not to report my missing wallet, trying to get a hold of the land lords to ask them about changing my lock, and working on my history report.

Needless to say, the afternoon passed quickly, and evening came, bringing with it night's dark veil. I became nervous again, for the thought that someone was out there with the keys to my apartment was very foreboding. I wondered if the landlords would ever get back to me about the whole changing lock thing. The thought occurred that maybe I should have been calling them earlier; however, it was too late then to worry about it. I was tired and wanted nothing more than to go to bed, which is what I did after a quick, stress-relieving shower.

The sheets felt soft on my tense body, the mattress so inviting. I snuggled into my little nest, stretching out in a characteristically cat- like fashion.

My room was dark save for the blue light that streamed through the window. It made me feel safe, like a child wrapped in its mother's arms. A feeling of drowsiness began to encompass my mind, and my body became lax. Soon, I was in what could only be described as a snooze, for I could feel my soft sheets and the warmth of my comforter, hear the sound of my own steady breathing, and the scent of rain warned me of its presence mere minutes before it began to tumble downward from a dark sky. The soft drops of water lulled me further in to the depths of content sleep. I waited somewhere within my mind for my body to completely give way to slumber, and I was near the verge of it. I could almost touch my dreams, as though they were tangible: the colors, smells, and emotions.

My subconscious reached for me, gently guiding my vulnerable mind into a dimension that would not be accessible in the hours of wakefulness . . . but something was keeping me from following that benign leader. It was . . . tingly, caressing, a sensation against my skin which kept me linked to a world of consciousness. Its pull was stronger and more authoritative.

Slowly, reluctantly, I allowed my eyelids to slide open. My vision was construed due to the dark and my sleepiness. That sensation became more apparent to me. It was on my cheek, running down my neck, sliding over my lips. As I gained awareness, my heart began to beat faster. I recognized the feeling coursing through my body. It was panic, an early warning system.

Suddenly, as if cut out from the dark itself, a figure stood out against the blackness that encompassed my room, and it was THAT figure's hands that were causing the sensation. At first, I could not move, and my breathing hitched in my throat. He noticed, for the light caresses became more harsh and demanding.

At that point my instincts kicked in and with all my neko-jin strength, I shoved the figure away and rolled off of the bed. I took a defensive stance as he made a move to come around to where I was standing. He hesitated, but then continued to advance. Something of a hiss escaped me.

"Stay away," I warned, my voice hoarse with fear, apprehension, and still caked with sleep.

He stopped again. "I just . . . to touch you. I have to . . . to touch you," he mumbled and took another step.

I squinted my eyes. Though my vision was better in the dark than most people's, I couldn't make out his features. I needed to see, but the light switch was on the other side of the room . . . where HE was.

"Please," he said quietly, reaching his arms outward. "I just have to . . . and your hair. I have to touch your hair. I need your lips," he said.

I shook my head. I couldn't concentrate! The light switch, how would I get to the light switch, and a phone, I had to CALL someone! I needed help and . . .

Suddenly, he leapt forward, knocking me against the wall. I let out a slight cry of pain when my head cracked against the structure, a sickening sound that seemed to echo inside of me. I felt disoriented as my body slumped onto the floor, and then those hands, those arms were grabbing at me, touching my hair and running their fingers over my skin with a harsh urgency.

"No," I heard myself whisper feebly, for he began tugging at my t-shirt, those hands still running their course over my flesh.

I shook my head furiously as I raised my own hand and formed a fist. I struck him hard across his cheekbone, sending his entire body tumbling to my left. Quickly, I scrambled to my feet, only to be caught around the ankle, and my leg was pulled out from under me. I fell against the floor, having to rely on training and upper body strength to keep from smashing my face against it and getting the wind knocked out of me.

Abruptly, I was picked up and shoved against the wall again. His grip was focused on either of my shoulders, fingertips digging groove like bruises into my skin. I grimaced in pain as he pulled me forward and shoved me back into the wall.

"Don't fight me!" He screamed.

He hit me against the wall again. "Never fight!"

The process of pulling me forward and launching me backward into the wall became constant as he repeated it over and over. He was seething and breathing rapidly. Speaking between his teeth, he said things like, "You! All I want . . . to touch. Your skin . . . to see you . . . have you. Your lips . . . you must be MINE!"

I gasped suddenly as he slammed me against the wall particularly hard and then backhanded me across the face, causing my neck and head to turn sharply. I felt something make a hollow 'popping' noise, and I was wracked with even more pain. A realization dawned on me then. He would kill me.

I received another hit in the face, although it was only a slap and paled in comparison to the previous blow.

He'd kill me . . . if I didn't do something.

Suddenly, he began to tear at my shirt again, managing to rip the collar. I attempted to resist, only to have him smack me, his erratic attack connecting with my temple. I became dizzy and groaned as he continued to rip at my clothing.

My body lacked energy, but my mind was screaming at me. He was going to kill me . . . worse . . . he was going to rape me. But only . . . only if I . . . let him.

He pressed his body near me then, and I lifted a limp arm upward. It wouldn't take much energy to disable him. Placing my middle and index finger side by side, I aimed for a pressure point near his ear and struck with practiced accuracy. Suddenly, I felt his body shudder and buckle from numbness. I seized the opportunity to move away just before he hit the floor, wincing as I heard him hit the windowsill. He was lying there very still. He'd been knocked unconscious.

I was breathing hard, my body aching, my head throbbing, but I heard him whimper. He would wake up soon. I needed to call someone. Regaining my bearings, I ran to the phone in the kitchen, picked it up and reentered my room. He was still lying there, unmoving.

Who would I call? Mou! I could call Mou . . . except I couldn't remember where I put her number, and it wasn't the time to look for it. No, I'd just call the police. It was the obvious thing to do. I turned on the phone and dialed the number, watching him all the while.

"Police, how can I help you?" Came the voice of a receptionist.

I almost sneered. It wasn't a fast food restaurant. Would it kill her to sound a little less cheery?

I tried to form words to talk to her but found it hard. My breathing was irregular, and my tongue seemed oblivious to my brain's commands. "I," I started.

"Hello?" She asked, her voice suddenly a little more serious.

I saw him move. Fear rose within my throat. "Help," I said quietly.

"Sir? Sir, where are you?" She asked, but I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I could barely breath as I watched him shift and moan. He began to hall himself up.

My arm went limp, falling to my side, and the phone dropped from my grasp. I could hear her voice yelling at me, but it was so far away, and I was frozen. My body was in so much pain, my mind stunned. I didn't know what to do.

I could barely whimper when he grabbed me by the arm and threw me toward the opposite wall, the one I had been thrown into so many times before.

"You're MINE!" He screamed.

The phrase triggered something within me. I recalled crimson eyes filled with a strange shadow. I recalled the voice that had said those very words to me in a husky tone. I remembered how indignant and angry I had felt.

He grabbed me and hit me against the wall yet again, but this time, I shoved off of it, surprising him, and rolled so it was HIS back against the wall. With a snarl he repeated my move, and I, in turn, repeated it once again, only I had forgotten about the window. When I pushed him back, the sound of glass shattering could be heard. Then, he began to fall backwards, arms flailing for something to hang on to, desperate fingers grabbing at me.

He fell, and I watched as he descended. I didn't even blink when I saw him hit the street pavement below with a certain finality that could not be ignored. I watched in shock as blood seeped from his body, mixing with the rain. It ran down the street and into the sewers, taking it away like it weren't the liquid of a human's life. Once again, I couldn't move. I was frozen. I'd just. . . killed someone.